We fell in love with the nuanced and varied cuisine of Mexico during the making of our August/September 2012 special Mexico issue. From deeply-spiced moles to grilled steak tacos and fruity tomatillo salsas, here are all the recipes from issue #149.
This zesty mix of fresh seafood, tomato and lime juices, and hot sauce is a refreshing snack or light meal eaten along Mexico’s coasts. Get the recipe »
A mix of dried shrimp, eggs, and tangy achiote makes an intensely savory topping for fried tortillas in this simple dish, eaten as an appetizer or snack in coastal Oaxaca. Get the recipe for Tostadas de Camaron Seco »
These thick tortillas, bathed in two types of salsa and garnished with shredded chicken, are a popular street snack in Mexico. See the recipe for Chalupas Poblanas »
Mexico’s soups are famous for their freshness and simplicity. This one marries delicate squash blossoms with chiles, queso fresco, and shredded chicken in an enriched chicken broth.
The heat of this deep-red ancho chile soup and its pasilla chile garnish is balanced by the addition of cooling crema and thinly sliced avocado. Get the recipe »
The thin vermicelli-like noodles called fideos add starch and body to this elemental tomato soup from Patricia Quintana, chef-owner of Izote restaurant in Mexico City.
This creamy, rich soup is a favorite in Mexico City. In summer it’s usually chilled like a vichyssoise, but it’s also served hot, especially in the cooler months.
This scramble of fresh ricotta, flavored with chiles, onions, and tomatoes, is delicious wrapped in warm tortillas or piled on toasted bread. Get the recipe »
Delicately spiced, tangy escabeche, a preparation typical of the Yucatan, makes a vibrant marinade and sauce for stewed chicken. The grapefruit, orange, and lime juices called for in this recipe approximate the flavor of the Yucatan’s sour oranges, which are difficult to get here.
This quick breakfast dish is made a la Mexicana with red tomatoes, white onion, and green jalapeño, ingredients that mirror the colors of the Mexican flag.
Stained deep orange with achiote paste, this spice-slathered grilled chicken pairs well with fresh, bracing salsa verde, which cuts through the dish’s garlicky richness.
This classic Pueblan sauce is made with pumpkin seeds and tomatillos. Get the recipe for Chicken with Pumpkin Seed-Tomatillo Sauce »
This clean, flavorful preparation of whole fish stuffed with pico de gallo preserves all the fish’s natural juices. Mullet is typically used, but red snapper works just as well.
In Mexico’s most iconic molé, mulato, ancho, and pasilla chiles combine with warm spices to create a velvety smooth sauce that’s ideal for spooning over chicken.
Marinated in a crimson achiote and citrus juice marinade and served with pickled onions, this chicken dish is eaten all over the Yucatan. It gets an additional layer of flavor from the banana leaves that line the inside of the pot, but should you opt not to use them, the result will still be delicious.
This Yucatan-style breakfast dish, topped with peas, ham, and Gouda or Edam cheese, has a spicy habanero and tomato sauce.
The bolillo, a French-style crusty white bread roll from Mexico, is the traditional foundation of this comforting dish, but a kaiser or most any other sandwich roll will work well.
These salsa-dunked and griddled sandwiches, an iconic Mexico City street food, are named for the pambazos—soft, oval rolls—they’re typically made with. Telera and kaiser rolls make fine substitutes.
This thirst-quencher punches up pineapple and apple with cactus.
In this dish, from Jorge Boneta, former chef at the Hotel Matilda in San Miguel de Allende, the pork and beans cook together, which enhances the flavor of each ingredient.
Infused with smoky guajillo chiles, this nourishing, slow-cooked stew is usually made with various tough cuts of beef, but we found oxtails to be the most flavorful choice.
Traditionally made in Puebla to celebrate Mexican Independence Day on September 16, these chiles have a minced pork filling enhanced with chopped fruit, and a creamy walnut sauce.
Thick, oblong masa tortillas (named huarache, or sandal, because of their shape) are topped with grated cheese, salsa roja, sauteed steak, and sliced cactus in this classic street food.
This classic Mexican rice, embellished with tomatoes, serrano chiles, and peas, is a versatile side dish for all kinds of meat and vegetable main dishes. See the recipe for Arroz a la Mexicana »
This earthy toasted pumpkin seed salsa, a specialty of the Yucatan, is rich, thick, and satisfying. Serve it with tortilla chips for dipping. Get the recipe for Sikil P’ak »
This green salsa is made thick and luscious by adding fresh avocado. Serve tableside with almost any dish— it’s especially delicious with roasted pork dishes or tacos carne asada.
